Skip to content
Cura x Cura

Long Gu龙骨

Draconis Os/Fossilia Ossis Mastodi · Dragon Bone · Fossilised Bone

Herbs that Calm the Spirit 安神药《神农本草经》

Overview

Fossilised bone of large prehistoric mammals, lifted from mineral deposits and broken into pieces. Sweet, astringent and neutral, it is a heavy, settling substance: its weight anchors a spirit that will not settle and pulls down Liver yang that has risen to the head, while its astringency holds in what is leaking — sweat, essence, uterine blood. It is decocted before the other herbs because a mineral this dense gives up its properties slowly. The calcined form is the more astringent of the two.

Nature & Flavor

Sweet, astringent · Neutral

Channels

Heart · Liver · Kidney

Typical Dosage

15–30 g in decoction
龙骨Photography for this entry is on its way.

Actions

4 core actions

  • Settles fright, calms the spiritPalpitations, anxiety, insomnia with vivid dreams, fright and manic restlessness; classically paired with Mu Li 牡蛎.
  • Pacifies the Liver, subdues rising yangDizziness, headache, tinnitus and irritability where Liver yang has risen upward.
  • Astringes and secures leakageSpontaneous and night sweating, seminal emission, urinary frequency, chronic vaginal discharge and uterine bleeding.
  • The calcined form differsCalcining shifts it further toward astringing: the calcined mineral is the one chosen for leakage patterns, and powdered it is applied externally to damp sores that will not close.

In Formulas

Formulas containing Long Gu

Indications & Clinical Uses

  • Palpitations, anxiety and insomnia with restless dreams
    - Dizziness, headache and tinnitus from rising Liver yang
    - Spontaneous or night sweating
    - Seminal emission, urinary frequency, chronic discharge, uterine bleeding
    - Damp non-healing sores, as calcined powder applied externally

Western Medical Keywords

Searchable condition terms

InsomniaAnxietyPalpitationsNight sweatsHypertension

Contraindications

Cautions

Astringent and holding, so it is wrong wherever damp-heat or an unresolved pathogen still needs to be cleared — it will hold that in as readily as it holds in sweat. A heavy mineral is also slow to digest and can dull the appetite, so it is used in defined courses rather than indefinitely, and it must be decocted first if it is to give up anything at all. Palpitations that persist, blackouts, and uncontrolled bleeding are diagnoses to be made, not symptoms to be sedated.

Contraindicated in pregnancy: No specific restriction — practitioner judgment applies

For licensed practitioners’ reference only

References

  1. Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing《神农本草经》(classical source, public domain).
    2. Bensky, Clavey & Stöger. Chinese Herbal Medicine: Materia Medica, 3rd ed.
    3. 《中华人民共和国药典》.

Professional reference notice. Entries are scholarly references for licensed TCM practitioners and students — not medical advice, and not a recommendation to self-prescribe. Chinese herbal formulas should be used under the guidance of a qualified practitioner. Content is an original editorial compilation by Cura x Cura, cross-checked against the cited references.